An Introduction to Early Welsh - Arthur Pendragon of Wales

16.]
CONSONANT MUTATIONS. 13
there are some instances of lenation after mwy more. After the
superlative in RB. non-lenation seems to be the rule in RB. II. lenation
;
is more frequent.
NOTE 6. In Celtic, when the adjective preceded the noun, it formed a
compound with it, e.g. hen-wrach old hag ( 34a), and in composition the
lenation of the second element was regular, e.g. eur-wisc golden dress,
bore-vwyt morning-food, breakfast. In Welsh, when the adjective came
to be used freely before the noun, the lenation of the old compounds was
retained in the positive,
NOTE 7. On the analogy of lenation in compound words and of lenation
of the noun following the adjective, in poetry, when the genitive precedes
the noun, it may lenate, e.g. byd lywyadwr the ruler of the world, o Gymry
werin of the host of the Cymry.
(p) When an adjective is repeated, e.g. mwy vwy vyd greater
and greater will be.
(d) After YN forming adverbs, and with predicative
nouns and adjectives ( 35), e.g. yn vynych often, yn borth
as a help, yn wreic as a wife. But yn llawen gladly ( 15).
NOTE 8. With regard to their influence upon a following word it is
necessary to bear in mind that predicative yn lenates, that yn in is
followed by the nasal mutation ( 20b) and that yn with the verbal noun,
e.g. yn mynet going ( I26a), does not affect a following consonant.
(e)
(a)
After numerals.
After cardinal numbers.
un one. After the fern., lenation seems to be regular, e.g. un
wreic one woman, un vil one thousand, yr un gerdet the same
going. Initial 11 is regularly uninfected, e.g. un llynges one fleet.
After the masc. the usage seems to vary, e.g. vn geir one word RB.
197 = WB. 123, but vn eir RB. II. 222, yr un march the same
horse RB. 9, but neb vn varchawc any horseman RB. II. 278, yn
un uaes in one field RB. 114.
NOTE 9. In Irish, din regularly mutates a following consonant.
According to Rowlands, Mod.W. un mutates in the fern.
deu, dwy two. After these lenation is regular, e.g. deu
barchell two pigs, deu lu two hosts, dwy verchet two daughters.
But deu cant two hundred RB. II. passim.
chwech, chwe six : chwech wraged six women RB. 18, 16 ;
but chwe blyned six years RB. II. 387, 404.
Seith seven : seith gantref seven cantreds RB. 25, 44, seith
gelfydyt seven arts RB. II. 200, seith wystyl seven hostages RB.